Method for presenting search results

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided to present the search results in response to a search query that is submitted to a document retrieval system, such as a search engine. The search results are presented with a second-retrieval model that constructs multiple derived queries for the search query with a first small-document retrieval process, and then generates and outputs the results based on the retrieval of search results of at least part of the derived queries. One embodiment of the invention provides a method for grouping the search results, which presents ranked derived queries together with their search results to the user, in such a way that derived queries with higher ranks and top-ranked documents of each derived query are preferentially presented, and the grouped results are displayed and navigated in independent framed subareas of an output window. A further embodiment selects the search results from multiple result lists of the derived queries to form the final search results for the user query, wherein the merged results are re-ranked according to pre-determined criteria. The method can also be integrated with the local keyword associated clustering method by rank value adjustment, or result filtering or merging to achieve better technical effects.

1 . A method for presenting the search results in response to a search query from a search user using a computer or computer network, comprising: 
 a. constructing multiple derived queries for the search query; and    b. generating the search results of the search query based on at least part of the derived queries, and outputting the results to the user.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step (a) for constructing derived queries comprises: 
 a1. searching a candidate query set with the user's search query, and    a2. selecting a set of candidate queries that are relevant to the user's search query.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said candidate query set is indexed and searched with small index units, which include short terms of words and phrases, or the senses of these words and phrases.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the derived queries are associated with a rank according to a selection from the group consisting of its similarity to the search query, and its frequency in the search log.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the rank of a derived query is further determined according to the derived query's term frequency and document frequency in current document collection.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein part of the top ranked derived queries are re-ranked according to the numbers and ranks of the documents in the corresponding search result lists of the derived queries.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step (b) for generation and output of the search results based on the derived queries further comprises: 
 b1-1. for at least part of the derived queries, constructing a search result set for each of the derived queries;    b1-2. returning at least part of the derived queries to the user; and    b1-3. at least part of the search results constructed for each of the returned derived queries are also returned to the user.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step (b) for generation and output of the search results based on the derived queries comprises: 
 b2-1. returning at least part of the derived queries to the user;    b2-2. for at least part of the returned derived queries, constructing a search result set for each of them; and    b2-3. at least part of the search results constructed for each of the returned derived queries are also returned to the user.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the derived queries are sorted by their ranks, and derived queries with higher ranks are preferentially handled.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the search results of each of the derived queries are sorted by their document ranks, and results with higher document ranks are preferentially presented to the search user.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of the returned derived queries and its search result list are presented in an independent framed subarea of the display page, and each search result list can be independently navigated using page number links.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each framed subarea can be independently opened or closed.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the derived queries are sorted by their ranks, and derived queries with higher ranks are preferentially handled.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the search results of each of the derived queries are sorted by their document ranks, and results with higher document ranks are preferentially presented to the search user.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each of the returned derived queries and its search result list are presented in an independent framed subarea of the display page, and each search result list can be independently navigated using page number links.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein each framed subarea can be independently opened or closed.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step (b) for generation and output of the search results based on the derived queries comprises: 
 b3-1. for at least part of the derived queries, constructing a search result set for each of the derived queries; and    b3-2. combining the search results of each of said derived queries to form the search results of said search query, and outputting at least part of the results to the user.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the search results of derived queries with higher ranks are preferentially constructed.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the documents in the merged search results of the derived queries are re-ranked according to a selection of the group consisting of original listing positions, document ranks of the results, ranks and term frequencies of the derived queries, and document frequencies of the derived queries.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the top ranked documents in the merged search results are selected as the final results for the user's search query.